The steel drum is a unique musical instrument of recent vintage which is made by converting discarded steel drums into finely tuned musical instruments. When the tuned drum is struck with rubber tipped sticks, it emits a melodious sound which allows persons skilled in the playing of the drum to reproduce the notes of the musical scale and play the full range of music on the instrument. To achieve the best sound effect, the instrument has to be played by a group of musicians comprising a steel band or orchestra which, in some instances, may include over one hundred musicians and an equal or greater number of instruments
Initially, steel orchestras were the exclusive and preferred musical accompaniment for participants in carnival costumed street parades in Trinidad and Tobago. To play the instrument, the steel drum instrumentalists had to physically carry their instruments by using various types of belting materials to drape the instrument around the neck, walk in the carnival parade and simultaneously play the individual steel instruments. As a result of a series of factors, including growth in the size of the orchestras, the weight of the instrument, and the fact that one musician was required to strike notes on different drums in quick succession because of the impossibility of playing the full range of music on a single drum. There arose a need for an alternative to the existing method of playing the steel band in parades, i.e. with musical instruments draped around the neck.
In order to continue the tradition of having the steel orchestra perform live in street parades, the instruments were placed on wheeled platforms, the players walked behind their instruments and played while the instruments were being pushed or pulled along the parade route. Although, this method of moving the instruments through the street was an improvement over the then existing means of transporting the instrument, it was still inadequate for the purpose. In fact, the quality of the music suffered, there were numerous problems, not the least of which was the concern regarding the safety of the performers, spectators and the participants in the parade. Moreover, the concern regarding the method of transporting the musicians distracted the observers from the enjoyment of the music and the passing parade.
Currently, the preferred technique for transporting these steel band orchestras is to place the musicians and their instruments on a movable platform, such as a flat-bed truck, trailer or similar transportation means to facilitate the movement of the orchestra through the streets. While a flatbed truck or trailer facilitates the movement of the orchestra through crowded streets and masses of people, the music emanating from the orchestra was not of sustained quality. The safety of the musicians and the participants in the parade was being jeopardized and the problems of managing the movement of the orchestra through crowded narrow streets remained unresolved. This invention resolves the problems associated with the transportation of steel orchestra musicians and their instruments, it can also alleviate problems related to the storage of the instruments and their movement from place to place for staged performances.
Movable stages which can be set up in one location then broken down, transported from one performance location and set up for a performance in another are well known. However, movable vehicular stages on which performers can perform while the stage is in motion are not as commonly known.
This invention relates to a mobile vehicular stage for transportation of musicians, particularly steel band instrumentalists, other artistes and performers in outdoor parades, festivals and carnivals. In such situations, the performers are required to perform while the stage is in motion along the parade route. Under such circumstances, the possibility of injury to the performer caused by sudden stops or other problems on the roadway is greatly enhanced. This invention provides a safe means of transportation for performers who continue to perform while the stage is in motion.
As originally conceived, the mobile vehicular stage of this invention was designed exclusively for transporting a full complement of steel band instrumentalists and their instruments. In practice, the stage is designed in the form of a wheeled platform which can be used for the purpose of transporting any group of musicians or performing artistes who need to perform on a moving vehicle. The stage is towed by a truck or other suitable vehicle and provides a safe means of transporting performing artistes and protecting them from injury while they are performing on the moving platform. In order to accommodate a larger complement of instrument and instrumentalists and to produce a more complete sound from the instruments, applicants have devised the concept of a movable double decked stage.
The double decked Steel Orchestra Stage was developed and designed to overcome the unique problems of transporting steel orchestras in street parades while the musicians are fully engaged in playing their instruments. The stage serves as a protective facility for the performers and a convenient platform for stationary performances and an excellent vantage point which the performers can view their audience and in turn be viewed by the audience.
Accordingly the principal object of this invention is to provide a mobile stage unit which is specifically designed and adapted for the transportation of steel drum musicians, and their instruments in street parades, carnivals and festivals.
Another object of the invention is to provide a mobile stage unit which can accommodate a complete steel drum orchestra of one hundred or more musicians and their instruments in a self-contained unit for purposes of transportation and performance.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a mobile stage unit which has built in safety devices to protect the musicians, their instruments and the audience from injury or damage while the orchestra is participating in street carnivals or parades. The stage also maximizes the visibility of the performing musicians and enhances the acoustical integrity of the sound emanating from the steel orchestra during mobile or stationery performance.
A further object of the invention is to provide a mobile stage unit that gives the performing players the freedom and comfort of playing their instruments on a mobile stage that is comparable in all respects to a fixed stage or platform.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a mobile stage unit capable of being used as a stationary or mobile performance stage.
One other object of the invention is to provide a mobile stage unit which can be used as a convenient and safe means of transporting and storing the musical instrument between and after performances and as a practice facility for the musicians.
The basic construction material of the mobile stage is steel, particularly steel bars, steel mesh and steel rods that are reinforced, braced and welded together to form the mobile stage unit described in the invention. Steel has been selected as the preferred metal in order to ensure that the decks are capable of supporting the total combined weight of the instrumentalists and their instruments.
In practice, the stage comprises two rectangular platforms arranged as an upper and lower deck. The upper deck rests on several upright posts which support and separate the first floor from the second. On both the first and second decks the surface area of the floor is covered by steel mesh which permits the musicians on each deck to have an unobstructed view of each other and to hear the sound of the instruments on the other. The mesh floor also enables the musical sounds to be heard throughout the upper and lower decks without any muffling of the sound due to a solid barrier. Throughout, each deck there are steel rods, posts and arranging the steel pan instruments in their optimum setting so that the musicians will be able to play their individual instruments.
In order to ensure the safety of the musicians who are expected to perform while the stage is in motion, the upper and lower decks have numerous safety devices. Further the chassis on which the upper and lower deck rests contains a steering and brake mechanisms, shock absorbers and protective wheel covers to make the vehicle safe, durable and capable of withstanding the constant pounding of the steel band beat, as well as the wear and tear caused by the combination of the instruments and the movement of the musicians while engaged in playing the instrument. Both the front and the rear of the stage have specifically designed connecting metal V-shaped steering extension bars, the front bar is designed for attaching the stage to a truck or other propelling vehicle, the rear bar is designed for the attachment of other Steel Orchestra Mobile Stages in a train like assembly.
Safety features incorporated in the design and construction of the Mobile Stage include safety rails, canvass canopy and canopy support poles of aluminum tubing, access steps to the upper level, safety guards at the steps, and recessed wheels with removable steel mesh covering for the wheels (four wheels in the rear and two wheels in the front).
The advantage of this Mobile Stage is that it provides a convenient facility for an entire steel orchestra to perform while in motion and overcomes the problems associated with playing the instrument while it is hung around the neck. Through this invention, it will now be possible for all the instruments (pans) to be mounted on the Mobile Stage so that the players can perform as if they were on a stationary concert stage. The mobile stage makes the steel band orchestra fully adaptable for parades and carnivals.
As a result of this improved mobile stage, it will no longer be necessary to use the current method of transportation which is to place a few instruments on a vehicle trailer. Instead, it will now be possible to fit an entire steel orchestra on the mobile stage for better acoustics and authentic sound production. In addition, the vehicle can be employed in a multipurpose capacity within the scope of its design, utility and usage.